Recent Trends in the Geography of Religion in Japan - Geography of Religion in Japan: Religious Space, Landscape, and Behavior - page 3

In 2003 and 2004, the Annual Conference of the Association of Historical
Geographers in Japan discussed the “Historical Geography of Religious Culture.”
The results of these discussions were published in the journal “The Historical
Geography,” which contains fi ve articles on pilgrimage associations ( Ise-ko 1 ) in the
community, worship catchment areas of religions, pictorial maps, feng shui , and
cemeteries.
These topics are typical of the work of contemporary Japanese geographers, and
demonstrate an increase in the geographical study of religion, especially in histori-
cal geography. The growth of literature includes an increase in review papers.
Although reviews written by Taima ( 1961 ) and Matsui ( 1993 ) appeared before
1995, several authors have published excellent recent reviews, for example Oda
( 1999a , 2002 ).
Oda ( 2002 ) used data from the “Bibliography in Geography” (Human
Geographical Society of Japan) and found research since the end of the Second
World War fell into seven topic areas: (1) religious cities/settlements, (2) pilgrim-
ages, (3) grave systems, (4) the distribution and catchment areas of religions, (5)
organization of religion in urban and rural areas, (6) pictorial maps depicting sacred
phenomena, and (7) mountain sanctuaries. Oda showed that research into these
topics has increased. Hisatake ( 2000 ) also listed research into cosmology, ethnicity,
and the representation of culture as new trends of cultural geography in Japan.
Several authors have published papers about Oda's themes. Iwahana ( 2000 )
described the history of research on pre-modern pilgrimages, and discussed pilgrim-
age to sacred places from the viewpoint of the exchange between the sacred and the
profane. Kaneko ( 1995 ) reviewed research into mountain religions from the view-
point of the catchment areas. Matsui ( 1998 ) examined the catchment area of several
beliefs. Iwahana ( 1997 ) examined maps depicting sacred phenomena and reviewed
the studies of mandala pictures of Mt. Tateyama (a sacred mountain in Chubu).
These publications fall into four themes: (1) distribution and diffusion of religion
and its spatial structure, (2) cultural landscape and social groups, (3) religion and
fudo /natural environment, and (4) pilgrimage, tourism, and sacred places. In the
following sections, I will examine research trends using these thematic headings.
1 A ko is a type of social group found all over Japan, derived from an opportunity for faith. The ko
provides a basic organization at a prayer-type shrine ( Sukei kigan sha ), and to diffuse the faith.
Sakurai ( 1962 ) compiled a list of about 400 kinds of ko ; these form the core of history, classifi ca-
tion, and function of the Japanese style of religious associations. Each ko has religious, social, and
economic functions. Mutual fi nancing may be provided by Tanomoshi and mujin ; social family
functions may be provided by kodomo-gumi (association of children) and wakamono-gumi (asso-
ciation of youth). Ko providing faith functions are broadly divided into two categories: those based
on folk religion, and ko pilgrim associations that visit famous shrines and temples. The folk reli-
gion ko are archetypes of Japanese Ko and include paddy fi eld kami ( tanokami-ko ), mountain kami
( yamanokami-ko ), the Sun festival ( himachi-ko ), and the moon festival ( tsukimachi-ko ). These ko
pray to kami for the health and longevity of the family, good fortune, or a good harvest. Pilgrimage
ko organized vicarious visits to shrines ( daisan-ko ). Ko are organized within a region, and the
associations have a strong infl uence on the community . Daisan-ko members visit famous shrines
and temples outside their community to gain divine favor.